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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Bethesda, MD

    Interspecies variation in male parental involvement

    Does anyone know of any books/articles out there that measure or explain interspecies variation in male parental involvement? I'm particularly interested in mammals, but other critters are of interest, too.
    FWIW, my impression is that, relative to most mammals and even other primates, human fathers are pretty engaged, but I'd like to learn more.
    Is this request too dorky for DBR? Nah.

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by WillJ View Post
    Does anyone know of any books/articles out there that measure or explain interspecies variation in male parental involvement? I'm particularly interested in mammals, but other critters are of interest, too.
    FWIW, my impression is that, relative to most mammals and even other primates, human fathers are pretty engaged, but I'd like to learn more.
    Is this request too dorky for DBR? Nah.
    I don't have an answer to the question, but I think I want fresh popcorn when you have this discussion at home!
    Fahr zur Hölle, Carolina, fahr zur Hölle

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by WillJ View Post
    Does anyone know of any books/articles out there that measure or explain interspecies variation in male parental involvement? I'm particularly interested in mammals, but other critters are of interest, too.
    FWIW, my impression is that, relative to most mammals and even other primates, human fathers are pretty engaged, but I'd like to learn more.
    Is this request too dorky for DBR? Nah.
    You will probably have some luck if you also look into species known for monogamous (or nearly so) mating, which is sometimes present in birds in addition to mammals.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Outside Philly
    Quote Originally Posted by WillJ View Post
    Does anyone know of any books/articles out there that measure or explain interspecies variation in male parental involvement? I'm particularly interested in mammals, but other critters are of interest, too.
    FWIW, my impression is that, relative to most mammals and even other primates, human fathers are pretty engaged, but I'd like to learn more.
    Is this request too dorky for DBR? Nah.
    Check out male sea horses.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Bethesda, MD
    Quote Originally Posted by fidel View Post
    I don't have an answer to the question, but I think I want fresh popcorn when you have this discussion at home!
    Hah.
    Mrs. WillJ and I are empty-nesters, so this is more for idle intellectual curiosity.
    I will also note, Fidel, that Mrs. WillJ is 100% Cuban.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by WillJ View Post
    Does anyone know of any books/articles out there that measure or explain interspecies variation in male parental involvement? I'm particularly interested in mammals, but other critters are of interest, too.
    FWIW, my impression is that, relative to most mammals and even other primates, human fathers are pretty engaged, but I'd like to learn more.
    Is this request too dorky for DBR? Nah.
    I know a lot about intraspecies involvement (human) but I guess that won’t help.

  7. #7
    I believe Robert Wright's The Moral Animal (1994) touched on this. I'm sure much has been discovered/analyzed since then, but I only just read it a few months ago. Robert Sapolsky's stuff also comes to mind.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Steamboat Springs, CO
    Anyway, when it comes to animal behavior (ethology?), we seem to know far more about birds than any other class of vertebrates. Birds are diurnal and easily observed, and there are millions of amateurs watching birds.

    Anyway, there are books on the subject easily Googled.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Bethesda, MD
    Quote Originally Posted by cspan37421 View Post
    I believe Robert Wright's The Moral Animal (1994) touched on this. I'm sure much has been discovered/analyzed since then, but I only just read it a few months ago. Robert Sapolsky's stuff also comes to mind.
    Wright's book was great and definitely on point. I read Sapolsky's "Behave" recently and do not recall any discussion of this issue. I thought that Frans de Waal's (RIP!) book "Different" was going to touch on this issue...but it didn't, which I thought was very odd, though I will note that de Waal had no children
    FWIW, I just googled "interspecies variation in male parental involvement" and the number one hit is this thread.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Greenville, SC
    Quote Originally Posted by WillJ View Post
    Wright's book was great and definitely on point. I read Sapolsky's "Behave" recently and do not recall any discussion of this issue. I thought that Frans de Waal's (RIP!) book "Different" was going to touch on this issue...but it didn't, which I thought was very odd, though I will note that de Waal had no children
    FWIW, I just googled "interspecies variation in male parental involvement" and the number one hit is this thread.
    We always have been on the leading edge of, well, everything.

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